But Obamas reelection strategy is about more than the haves and have-nots. It appears he is seeking to stir up full-blown cultural warfare against a large and diverse segment of society known as Republicans.

POLITICO 44
Having failed to lower the unemployment rate to a politically tolerable level, Obama cannot run as most presidential candidates do  on the economy. So he and his advisers seem to have decided instead to mount a deeply polarizing campaign based on values  suggesting his vision for America is correct even if the economy is not right yet.

But in waging this battle, Obama is saying nasty and dangerous things. He is promoting his own principles  not just by touting their goodness, but by suggesting that Republicans hold to an offensive, even un-American, philosophy.

By painting his opposition as not just wrong but evil, Obama risks dividing the nation in a profound and unnecessary way.

Obama previewed the strategy last April, when he said that the budget produced by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and eventually passed by the House was not a vision of the America I know.

In the past several weeks, Obamas pronouncements on what is American and what is not  and his accusations of bad faith by his opponents  have increased in frequency and intensity.

In September, Obama used reactions by a handful of audience members at GOP debates to indict the entire party.

Some of you here may be folks who actually used to be Republican, Obama said during a California fundraiser, but are puzzled by whats happened to that party. Youve got audiences cheering at the prospect of somebody dying because they dont have health care and booing a service member in Iraq because theyre gay. Thats not reflective of who we are.

Allegations that Republicans want sick people to die and hate homosexuals are caricatures you might expect of an extreme House member or a raving partisan running for local office. That a president would say  or even believe  such things is deeply disturbing.

Another steffie "fear" thread? Why do conservatives always run on fear? Why can't you just run on your failed policies?

Click to expand...

Why do we have a President to refers to his fellow Americans as 'enemies'? Anyone - particularly our political leaders - who use fear of other Americans as a political weapon does not deserve to hold office. No one. Democrat or Republican. We are not the enemy.

It goes beyond disparaging. Republicans no longer disagree, they are the enemy. They must be destroyed. Republicans want to murder the population of the US. They want dirty water, dirty air, women dying on the floor. Republicans want the poor to starve in the streets. Their property has to be forcibly removed from them because they won't willingly "share".

President Barack Obama stands accused by conservatives of waging class warfare, seeking to galvanize his base and lure middle-class voters by pitting the rich against everyone else

Click to expand...

He's been such a miserable failure as President that attacks are the only trick left in his bag. Then again the only other trick in his bag before was smug arrogance that our problems are all child's play for his giant brain to solve. Turns out that wasn't the case, so attacks are what's left.

Obama previewed the strategy last April, when he said that the budget produced by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and eventually passed by the House was not a vision of the America I know.

Click to expand...

If that's the quote the author was going to choose to justify his point, he should've written an opinion piece about how Obama has been more than charitable and, indeed, significantly more diplomatic than most of these nutjobs on the right deserve.

Useful Searches

About USMessageBoard.com

USMessageBoard.com was founded in 2003 with the intent of allowing all voices to be heard. With a wildly diverse community from all sides of the political spectrum, USMessageBoard.com continues to build on that tradition. We welcome everyone despite political and/or religious beliefs, and we continue to encourage the right to free speech.

Come on in and join the discussion. Thank you for stopping by USMessageBoard.com!